Good Neighbors (organization)

Good Neighbors is a South Korean non-profit organization and international non-governmental organization (NGO) that advocates for humanitarian aid, children's rights, and sustains the development of communities. Good Neighbors was founded in 1991 and expanded to over 45 countries. It is predominant in Asia and Africa. Fundraising programs are present in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia^{[12 1]}.

Good Neighbors was founded on March 28, 1991, by Yi Il-ha along with seven members which were part of the Korea Neighborhood Love Association. The organization was established at the time where South Korea went through a political and economic transition before the IMF crisis of 1997. This period highlighter the need of social welfare and humanitarian engagement around the world^{[9 1]}.

The first intervention the organization had was in Bangladesh in 1992. The key issues focused on poverty and malnutrition, as well as refugee support in Somalia in 1993 and Rwanda in 1994. Good Neighbors was also involved projects with interviews, surveys, and community discussions to get an overview of the current issues^{[9 2] [15 1]}.

Good Neighbor was involved for assisting North Korea. They supported the North through the Sunshine Policy that was established between the 1990s and the 2000s. In fact, the organization built a bread factory in Dandong, China to supply North Korean schools because the country did not accept direct aid from South Korea^{[13 1]}. Another infrastructure included the Pyongyang Children's Heart Hospital. Between 1995 and 2010, Good Neighbors sent 2,054 South Koreans to visit North Korea^{[13 2]}. The main reason of these trips was to connect the two Korean governments in humanitarian diplomacy^{[12 2]}.

Here is the NGOs evolution in the last 40 years:

• 1991: Foundation of the NGO under the name of Korea Neighborhood Love Association.
• 1992 to 1994: International projects in Bangladesh, Somalia, and Rwanda.
• 1996^{[14 1]}: Korea's first child abuse center with status consultations thanks to the UN ECOSOC
• 2002: Name changed to Good Neighbors.
• 2003: Good Neighbors Internationalization through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• 2008-2015: Aid to disaster relief in Haiti, East Japan, and Nepal earthquakes.
• 2014-2018: Tanzania projects implementation of water, school, and life conditions solutions.
• 2014-2017: Projects in Bangladesh about women's empowerment.
• 2019: Development across 45 countries and constant worldwide participation.

Good Neighbors protects and promotes the rights of children by reducing poverty and supporting vulnerable individuals through education and health programs^{[12 3]}. The goal of this NGO is connected to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)^{[10 1]}.

Majority of the Good Neighbors' programs address poverty, child protection, education, access to clean water, disaster relief, helping families and marginalized groups such as women, elderly, and people with disabilities^{[10 2]}.

This South Korean NGO has partnership with important institutions such as the World Food Programme (WFP), World Health Organization (WHO), and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)^{[15 2] [19 1]}. Good Neighbors focuses on community improvements through collaborative projects. According to its 2019 Annual Report, Good Neighbors had 3,567 people subscribed as staff members, 89,763 volunteers, and 465,999 community partners around the world^{[12 4]}.

Good Neighbors NGO was inspired by a South Korean movement occurred in the 1970s which focused on empowerment, participation, and infrastructure development. The main goal is to ensure social changes and opportunity access among children, gender, and marginalized populations^{[10 3]}.

For Good Neighbors, its principles involve a lot of cooperative work among communities, which automatically push individuals to not rely on external aid, but improve conditions to develop local income that will be sustainable long-term^{[10 4]}.

Good Neighbors took the South Korean model of Saemaul Undong. This model consists of rural development of communities that began in the 1970s. It was initiatives linked with cooperation, self-help and diligence that made communities participate and be involved in changing their living conditions^{[16 1]}.

The goal of this movement was to reduce inequalities between urban and rural communities. Saemaul Undong was about infrastructure development, income increase, and better organization of the population. Most of the villages had basic resources and had to start working on the modifications of their environments. Some of the improvements in these cities involved the development of roads, water systems, and housing^{[9 3]}.

This strategy became a solution to reduce poverty and allowed citizens better life quality, and it has spread through other Asian and African countries^{[16 2]}.

Another program that Good Neighbors got inspired from is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This convention was adopted in 1989, and it ratified human rights treaty in history. The goal was to prioritize children rights in terms of civil, politics, economy, society, and cultural rights.

In the Convention, children are defined as individuals aged under 18. This convention highlights that they have their own rights. This United Nations convention includes 54 articles that advocates for the well-being of children through educational access, healthcare, violent protection, ad even engagement in decision-making situations^{[15 3] [17 1]}.

The implementation of the Convention contains principles for Child Rights Protection (CRC)^{[17 2]}.:

• Non-discrimination.
• Child interests focus.
• Right to life, survival, and development.
• Child respect.

These principles are followed by Good Neighbors. Children can always develop while living under safe and supportive conditions where they can take actions about their lives without having to worry about consequences^{[10 5]}.

Good Neighbors is an organization that considers poverty as an obstacle for people to live in equity and have access to food. This is one of the reasons they work close with the World Food Programme. This programme is the broadest humanitarian aid that solves hunger and food issues around the world. It provides assistance during critical periods and supports communities anytime^{[15 4] [19 2]}.

Through the programme's support Good Neighbor has focused on food security and the reduction of nutrition. Activities are combined with development of infrastructures, so the communities can become less independent from these humanitarian organizations.

For example, in Tanzania and Bangladesh, the Saemaul projects were used to pursue the construction of water systems, schools and other buildings^{[12 5]}. Another activity developed for these communities was agriculture, so they could self-sufficient themselves because the development of these projects only target audiences in need, so these can learn to be autonomous^{[9 4] [16 3]}.

Moreover, Good Neighbors is recognized by the United Nations system while also gaining a consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)^{[14 2]}. This status allows the organization to become more active in discussions to improve humanitarian aid and the spread of human rights allowing a political position where discussions occur freely.

According to the 2019 Good Neighbors Annual Report, there were ______ beneficiaries worldwide^{[12 6]}. The socioeconomic challenges in the 1990s led to the development of South Korean organization to improve the citizens’s situation.

According to the 2014 annual report of Good Neighbors in the projects occurred with the help of almost 2 million of participants. The areas prioritized were education, health, water and sanitation and income generation^{[11 1]}.

Some of the organization projects have been used in rural communities based in Tanzania, Bangladesh, Chile, and Haiti. These programs are mostly based on field research while integrating humanitarian strategies to respond to citizens needs.

The predominant sector that Good Neighbors work on is education. Most people helped are children to increase literacy rates and access to scholarships. Many school constructions occurred in Bangladesh, Tanzania, Cambodia, and North Korea. North Korean support was showed through childcare centers and schools involving 4,700 children in total among 14 centers in the early 2000s and 9 between 2004 and 2010^{[13 3]}. Initiatives among young children have contributed to less percentage of school dropout rated among groups coming from disadvantaged backgrounds^{[12 7] [15 5]}.

In Africa, school projects are connected to the concept of hope. This connection allows motivation and development of educational programs seeking the increase of basic education improvement. The project was developed in Africa in 9 countries, including: Niger, South Sudan, Rwanda, Zambia, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Malawi, establishing a total of 36 Hope Schools. In these schools, the number of students benefitted by these constructions were 26,512^{[12 8]}.

Good Neighbors also focuses on solving clean water issues. For example, communities in Bangladesh have projects for environment, infrastructure, and disaster solution. A field studies stated that clean water access has benefited health and reduced responsibility among children while also reducing risks of illness among poor communities^{[9 5]}.

In Bangladesh, infrastructure projects have allowed financial support for households living under poverty conditions. In Tanzania, there has been farming and beekeeping which has also helped in the life quality. These programs have led to income increase and food improvement according to research^{[9 6]}.

One of the main factors that also affects health is medical checkup because it does not allow to track vaccination or get medical facilities. Aside malnutrition, mosquitoes are another reason of illness spread.

Children are prioritized by this South Korean NGO including abuse prevention, promotion of children rights, support for children living in vulnerable households^{[11 2] [10 6]}.

Good Neighbors create strategies that benefits groups to stop living in poverty conditions. Statistics show that 13,054 of households participate in agriculture programs and it has increased the creation of 6,546 small businesses^{[11 3]}.

Disaster reliefs are other factors that have promoted aid from God Neighbors to Haiti, Chile, Nepal, and Japan. Most of the aid comes from food distribution, medical supplies, temporary shelters, rebuilding efforts and addressing issues fast^{[15 6]}.

Good Neighbors is present in Africa and Asia. Most of the time, the range of development and humanitarian programs involve school, water, and food access.

In Africa, projects that have occurred in Tanzania, Rwanda reaching around 12,000 of people helped by condition changes. In Asia, children protection is highlighted in Bangladesh, Nepal, Cambodia, and North Korea, mostly when it involves single female households.

Despite being less heard in the Americas and the Middle East, it was part of the Chile humanitarian aid and in Dubai^{[15 7]}. Good Neighbors covers needs while adapting to the contexts of each territory where the help is needed. The variations depend on population size, economic conditions, and environmental challenges.

Campaigns occur each year. In this case, the Good Water Project helped on the distribution of accessible drinking water for citizens suffering from shortages across the world^{[11 4]}.

Mother only for a day was created to solve the issue of high mortality among children and pregnancy risks of African women. The campaign was spread through media: television, radio, phones spreading awareness of African communities’ hardships. Hopeful Heat was a project focused on Korea to help families in poverty. For this campaign, 7,876 people was the registered number of donors, which led to a suppliance of resources for 79 schools and around 400 households. The distribution of help was done through a radio program selection^{[11 5]}.

The Good Neighbors USA provided support for Malawi, Ethiopia and Zambia for water access^{[11 6]}.

Three projects were developed in 2014: The Coffee Meets Water campaign served to fundraising for water repair. Good Neighbors worked close with coffee roasters from Los Angeles and Let It Flow to help the African countries affected by water sanitation^{[11 7]}.

The High School Club includes different events to spread support for Water for Life. These events include activities such as bake sales, helping to spread a sense of taking action to help citizens in need. ASICS LA Marathon occurred on March 9,2014 where 10 runners participated to this marathon. The marathon consisted of a 42.19 kilometers run for the fundraising for cookstoves in Guatemala^{[11 8]}.

In 2014, Japan had its 10th anniversary with Good Neighbors. A ceremony took place in November where members of Ethiopia got invited to celebrate^{[11 9]}.

Throughout this year different campaign events occured: 10 Tons of Old Clothes for clothing donation which was a collaboration with a Japanese recycling company. People would send clothing directly to Good Neighbors. The 2014 report shows that 2,555 kg of clothing was collected and these pieces of clothing were sent to Indonesia, Philippines and Chile^{[11 10]}.

The Hope Letter Contest was held during the summer and many children wrote letters to raise awareness. The letters who received the most votes were sent from Japan to Bangladesh^{[11 11]}.

Good Neighbors holds partnerships with other international organizations and governments: United Nations agencies such as the WFP, WHO and UNHCR, and it also has relationships with local governments of the countries being benefited^{[12 9] [19 3]}.

Primary education allowed the recognition of Good Neighbors through the Millennium Development Goals Award Good Neighbors is also promoted by famous South Korean people who hold a broad audience. These people are chosen as honorary ambassadors. These selections occur to raise awareness and advocate for global initiatives' support.

In 1996, Korea's first NGO was granted comprehensive consultation status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council(UNECOSOC).^[1] On August 1, 2002, the organization was renamed Good Neighbors, and in August 2003, Good Neighbors International was registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since then, emergency relief has been provided for disasters such as the Sichuan earthquake, Haiti earthquake, East Japan earthquake, and Nepal earthquake. In 2007, he was awarded the Millennium Development Goals Award (MDGs Award), organized by the United Nations and the International Union of Labor and Management Organizations, for his contribution to universal primary education.^[1][2]

Good Neighbors is referred to as a mediator between governments and communities. In fact, it is valuable in the Korean Peninsula due to the remaining political tensions between both Koreas.

The support from the Sunshine Policy allowed its activeness in North Korean projects. Diplomacy was sought through the maintenance engagement with the Dandong bread factory and Pyongyang's hospital development^{[13 4]}.

Good Neighbors is currently carrying out international development projects in South Korea, North Korea, and 39 countries abroad. And eight developed countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and Taiwan, are expanding their fundraising activities and children's rights advocacy activities. Based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child(UN CRC) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals(UN SDGs), it targets 5.8 million children and local residents in areas such as children's rights protection, education, health, drinking water sanitation, income increase, union activities, networks, disaster relief and humanitarian support, social economic projects, and sustainable environments.

Good Neighbors has been accused of using volunteer work as a disguise for missionary work, a charge that the organization has denied.^[3][4] In 2015, Good Neighbors was one of 26 charities found to have low transparency in its financial reporting, in a review of 45 large charities operating in South Korea by the media outlet Hankook Ilbo on the eve of tax law changes designed to force greater transparency in how charitable organizations spend their funds.^[5] In 2017, Good Neighbors received a 100% score in a similar transparency evaluation conducted by Yonhap News.^[6]

Celebrities in South Korea: Choi Soo-jong, Kim Jong-seok, Byun Jung-soo, Lee Se-joon, Jo Su-ah, Soriel Jang Hyuk-jae, Kim Byung-man, Kim Hyun-joo, Kim Soo-jin, Seo Young-hee, Go A-ra, Jeon Jeong-hyang, Jin Se-yeon, Kim Ji-woo, Rayman Kim, Ham Chun-ho, Yun Sung-bin, and Lee Jung-min are active as ambassadors.^[7][8]

• World Vision

1. ^ ^{a b} Lee, Hee-yong (2016-07-05). "<인터뷰> 이일하 굿네이버스 이사장 "공무원에 밥 사주지 마라"". Yonhap News. Archived from the original on 2019-09-27.
2. ^ "AICESIS MDG Awards". omdg.org.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
3. ^ "공지사항". Good Neighbors. 2008-07-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
4. ^ "굿네이버스". 2010-01-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
5. ^ Jung, Jun-ho (2015-12-21). "기부단체 투명성 D등급… 불신 안 걷혔다". Hankook Ilbo. Retrieved 2019-09-27.
6. ^ Park, Sang-don (2017-02-22). "한국가이드스타, 공익법인 정보공개 투명성 국내최초 평가". Yonhap News. Archived from the original on 2019-09-27.
7. ^ "홍보사절단". Good Neighbors. 2019-09-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
8. ^ Lee, Dae Woong (12 September 2024). "굿네이버스, 전 스켈레톤 국가대표 윤성빈 나눔대사 위촉" [Good Neighbors Appoints Former Skeleton National Team Member Yun Sung-bin as Ambassador for Sharing]. Christian Today (in Korean). Retrieved 12 September 2024.

9.

1. ^ Kim, Youngwan; Sohn, Hyuk-Sang; Park, Bokyeong (1 December 2019). "Make the village better: An evaluation of the Saemaul Zero Hunger Communities Project in Tanzania and Bangladesh". World Development. p. 104652. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104652.
2. ^ Kim, Youngwan; Sohn, Hyuk-Sang; Park, Bokyeong (1 December 2019). "Make the village better: An evaluation of the Saemaul Zero Hunger Communities Project in Tanzania and Bangladesh". World Development. p. 104652. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104652.
3. ^ Kim, Youngwan; Sohn, Hyuk-Sang; Park, Bokyeong (1 December 2019). "Make the village better: An evaluation of the Saemaul Zero Hunger Communities Project in Tanzania and Bangladesh". World Development. p. 104652. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104652.
4. ^ Kim, Youngwan; Sohn, Hyuk-Sang; Park, Bokyeong (1 December 2019). "Make the village better: An evaluation of the Saemaul Zero Hunger Communities Project in Tanzania and Bangladesh". World Development. p. 104652. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104652.
5. ^ Kim, Youngwan; Sohn, Hyuk-Sang; Park, Bokyeong (1 December 2019). "Make the village better: An evaluation of the Saemaul Zero Hunger Communities Project in Tanzania and Bangladesh". World Development. p. 104652. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104652.
6. ^ Kim, Youngwan; Sohn, Hyuk-Sang; Park, Bokyeong (1 December 2019). "Make the village better: An evaluation of the Saemaul Zero Hunger Communities Project in Tanzania and Bangladesh". World Development. p. 104652. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104652.

Kim, Youngwan; Sohn, Hyuk-Sang; Park, Bokyeong (1 December 2019). "Make the village better: An evaluation of the Saemaul Zero Hunger Communities Project in Tanzania and Bangladesh". World Development. p. 104652. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104652.

10. "Good Neighbours Global Development Approach Empowering People, Transforming Communities" (PDF). Good Neighbors.

11. "2014 Good Neighbors International Annual Report" (PDF). Good Neighbors.

12. "2019 Good Neighbors USA Annual Report" (PDF). Good Neighbors.

13. Moon, Kyungyon (4 February 2025). "Korean CSO's Peace and Humanitarian Movement: The Case of Good Neighbors". Korea Europe Review: an interdisciplinary journal of politics, society, and economics. doi:10.48770/ker.2025.no7.56.

14. "United Nations Civil Society Participation – General".

15. "Good Neighbors Partnership". fr.scribd.com.

16. "Community Conditional Cash Transfers for Rural Development: Saemaul Undong, Republic of Korea (1970–1979)" (PDF). Global Delivery Initiative. Ministry of Economy and Finance.

17. "Convention on the Rights of the Child | UNICEF". UNICEF.

18. "About the Convention on the Rights of the Child | UNICEF Canada: For Every Child". UNICEF Canada.

19."UN World Food Programme (WFP)". UN World Food Programme (WFP).

• History of Good neighbors
• Good Neighbors App (Google Store)
• Sunshine Policy

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